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Beachy keeping control in camp's early days

Brandon Beachy continued having arm trouble during Spring Training due to previous surgery and there is a strong chance he could miss 2014

By Mark Bowman
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MLB.com |

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Brandon Beachy has often been described as one of those maximum-effort individuals who pushes himself to the limit on the mound, in the gym or in any other competitive environment.

But even as he attempts to distance himself from the bouts of frustration he experienced while attempting to return from Tommy John surgery last season, he plans to moderate his effort during the early days of camp and the Grapefruit League season.

Beachy has provided encouragement, as he has been able to consistently throw in pain-free fashion over the past month. Sticking to his plan on Wednesday morning, he threw his first batting-practice session of the year in a controlled manner.

"You could tell he wasn't full bore, which is fine," manager Fredi Gonzalez said, "but he looked good."

Beachy's comeback at the standard 12-month mark was cut short in June because of inflammation in his right elbow. He made his much-anticipated return to the rotation one month later but was limited to just five starts before the inflammation proved debilitating enough to sideline him and ultimately necessitate a less-intrusive procedure in September, during which Dr. James Andrews removed a bone spur and some other loose fragments from around the elbow.

The rotation could certainly benefit from a healthy and productive Beachy, who led the Majors with a 2.00 ERA through the 13 starts he made before forced to undergo surgery in 2012.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.